Democracy Under Siege: Extremist insurgency continues a year after
deadly insurrection at U.S. Capitol
[link removed]
Booth Gunter, SPLC Senior Special Projects Editor | Read the full
piece here
[link removed]
Friend,
A year ago this week, the world witnessed a stunning scene that few
could have imagined - a mob attack on the citadel of American
democracy, a deadly insurrection aimed at thwarting the peaceful
transfer of power that has endured for more than two centuries.
By the end of that terrifying day, the far-right extremists who sacked
the U.S. Capitol - and sent members of Congress, aides and the
vice president scurrying for their lives - were defeated, and
many of them later arrested and bound for prison.
But a year later, urgent questions remain: Was that bloody battle the
end of the movement to overturn American democracy? Or was it simply a
gambit that presages an even more dangerous, long-term threat to the
constitutional order?
The signs of peril are everywhere.
Even today, with no evidence whatsoever, more than two-thirds of
Republicans continue to believe
[link removed]
the Big Lie
[link removed]
that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump
- despite the courts' rejection of Trump's arguments
as completely unfounded. Perhaps more troubling, according to the same
poll
[link removed]
released in November by the Public Religion Research Institute, 18%
of all Americans agree with the statement that "true American
patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our
country."
In a poll
[link removed]
released this week by USA Today and Suffolk University, 83% of voters
were "very" or "somewhat" worried about the
future of the nation's democracy. But they were starkly
polarized about the reasons for their concern. While 85% of Democrats
called the Jan. 6 rioters "criminals," two-thirds of
Republicans agreed with the statement: "They went too far, but
they had a point." A poll
[link removed]
released by Morning Consult/Politico in October found that just 48%
of voters - and a mere 18% of Republicans - approve of the
Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S.
Capitol
[link removed]
.
Public opinion is not the only sign of trouble.
After record turnouts that tilted the balance of power in Washington,
D.C., to Democrats, Republican-controlled legislatures in some states
moved quickly to enact onerous, new anti-voter laws to restrict ballot
access for people of color, people with disabilities and others who
are more likely to vote for their opposition. In some states,
they're also stripping powers from local election officials who
stood up to the false claims of election fraud. At the same time, the
partisan gerrymandering of Congress, state legislatures and local
government bodies continues unabated as a way to thwart the will of
voters.
In many ways, the insurrection against American democracy didn't
begin or end on Jan. 6. It is, in effect, a broad, ongoing white
nationalist assault on the nation's multicultural democracy, an
insurgency that has been years in the making and was propelled into
the mainstream by Trump's campaign and election.
It's a movement that the Southern Poverty Law Center sounded the
alarm over long before the assault on the Capitol. And in the
aftermath of the insurrection, the SPLC continues its fight by
launching a $100 million voter mobilization effort and supporting
federal legislation to combat voter suppression.
"I think the important thing to understand is the insurrection
didn't end on Jan. 6," said Eric K. Ward
[link removed]
, a nationally recognized expert on the relationship between
authoritarian movements, hate violence and inclusive democracy.
"Across the country in small communities and towns, the
insurrection is still a daily reality for many Americans. The targets
are health workers, educators, local government officials, civil right
activists who are facing intimidation, sometimes physical violence,
acts of domestic terrorism from those who were supportive of the
insurrection and possibly those who took part in the
insurrection."
READ MORE
[link removed]
In solidarity,
Your friends at the Southern Poverty Law Center
The SPLC is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond,
working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy,
strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of
all people.
Friend, will you make a gift to help the SPLC fight for
justice and equity in courts and combat white supremacy?
DONATE
[link removed]
--
Unsubscribe [link removed] | Privacy Policy [link removed] | Contact Us [link removed]
Southern Poverty Law Center
400 Washington Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36104
334.956.8200 // splcenter.org
[link removed]
Copyright 2022
